“Following the Great Recession, we’ve entered into the Great Shift,” said Bob Funk, CEO of Express Employment Professionals, and a former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. “This is a period defined by the Boomer retirement, Millennial frustration, and growing reliance on government programs. All indicators suggest this shift is not sustainable, which means we need action on everything from immigration policy to job training.

“Labor force participation is an issue too often overlooked in the headlines. We see unemployment ticking down and think things are getting better, but for the last few years, there’s been this unsettling trend that demands more focus. We have to come to terms with what it means for our economy before more damage is done,” Funk said.

In fact, it isn’t a problem of jobs. At the moment, there are 4 million jobs available according to Funk. But it is a deficit of skills which are causing a large portion of the problem:

But Boomers and Millennials alike are feeling the impact of the skills gap: the skills employers need are not the skills job-seekers possess.

This worker exodus has serious implications for America’s competitiveness, the country’s immigration policy and the survival of the social safety nets. Governments, businesses, schools and workers all have a role to play in reversing an alarming trend.

However, nothing much is being done to address the trend, with government just happy to see the unemployment numbers coming down (whether it’s a smoke and mirrors job or not, doesn’t particularly concern them) on the one side and government actually exacerbating the problem with the atrocious and job killing ObamaCare coming on line on the other. Add to that a record 8,733,461 on disability (a population the size of NYC) and you can begin to grasp the depth of this problem.

The bottom line? Today, 90 million Americans have dropped out of the job market. Until they are again engaged purposefully in looking for a job or working, we’re going to continue to see a slow recovery with the economy.

Breaking on Hot Air

Blowback

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The Impact of Illegal Immigration on the Wages and Employment Opportunities of Black Workers: A Briefing Before The United States Commission on Civil Rights Held in Washington, DC

…illegal workers are estimated to account for as much as one-third of total immigrants in the United States, and that illegal immigration has tended to increase the supply of low-skilled, low-wage labor available. The Commission found also that about six in 10 adult black males have a high school diploma or less, and are disproportionately employed in the low-skilled labor market in likely competition with immigrants.

Sure, but ditch diggers who can be counted on to show up to work, not show up drunk or high, won’t gold brick, be on time, follow directions, won’t cuss out the boss when they feel they’ve been “dissed” because they were told to do something, and won’t steal the tools.

Thursday evening’s vote was nonbinding, but in a short statement to Parliament afterward, Mr. Cameron said that he respected the will of Parliament and that it was clear to him that the British people did not want to see military action over Syria. “I get it,” he said.

If employers need certain skills, they train people for certain skills. It is not a skill issue. It is a CHARACTER ISSUE. Employers are not going to hire and train slackers with poor character. Every job I ever had started off with very minimal skills to do the job they wanted and me learning those skills they needed very quickly. From new hire to full performance in 2 weeks or less and the go to guy in 60 months or less.
I did not start off knowing how to pick strawberries properly. I knew the basics. I did not know how to make taco meat right off, I only knew the basics. I did not know how to bag groceries right off, but in a few weeks I was the best tipped bagger and a month later promoted to non foods clerk. I did not know how to detail cars right off, but in short order I was as good as the next guy with years experience. I then was a piss poor soldier entering boot camp and ramped up very quickly, going from 98lb weakling to 170lb rock solid in 12 weeks.
It is not a skill issue, it is a character issue, and there is nothing employers can do with people of poor character turned out by single mothers, our pathetic school system and a culture of degeneracy supremacy.

The bottom line? Today, 90 million Americans have dropped out of the job market. Until they are again engaged purposefully in looking for a job or working, we’re going to continue to see a slow recovery with the economy.

From Dilbert:
Assistant: It’s the new guy’s first day and he’s calling in sick.
Assistant: His message says he was putting on his shirt and got his head caught in an arm hole.
Assistant: Good hire.
Pointy haired boss: I had that same problem with my pants.